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Trial to begin over meningitis outbreak that killed 64 total

The Lowell Sun

Updated:
01/04/2017 11:06:45 AM EST

Barry Cadden leaves the federal courthouse in Boston on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014 after a hearing to announce conditions of his bail and release. Cadden and Glenn Chin are facing the most serious charges in a deadly nationwide meningitis outbreak blamed on a defunct Massachusetts compounding pharmacy. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) (Stephan Savoia)

BOSTON (AP) -- Jury selection is set to begin in the murder trial of a former top executive at a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy that has been blamed for a national meningitis outbreak that killed 64 people in 2012.

Barry Cadden is charged with 25 counts of murder and other offenses under federal racketeering laws. He is the co-founder and former head pharmacist of New England Compounding Center in Framingham.

Federal prosecutors allege that the center used expired ingredients and failed to follow industry cleanliness standards, resulting in tainted steroid injections. Hundreds across the country were sickened with fungal meningitis in the fall of 2012.

Cadden has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer has said that prosecutors overreached in charged him with causing deaths.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin Wednesday in U.S. District Court.

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